Hornby has revealed the latest engineering samples of its brand-new OO Gauge Railroad Range Class 60 diesel locomotive, giving us our best look yet at this completely new model as development continues!

Announced as part of Hornby's 2026 range, the Class 60 is the latest locomotive to receive the new-tooling Railroad treatment, designed from the ground up to offer a robust, reliable and more affordable model while retaining plenty of recognisable detail. We previously got an early look at the project when Hornby brought a 3D printed sample to our Sheffield Showcase Event, but these latest engineering samples represent another important step towards the finished models.

Hornby already has a highly detailed Class 60 in its range, but this completely separate model has been designed specifically for the Railroad Range, giving newcomers, younger modellers and anyone looking to build a sizeable modern freight fleet a more accessible alternative. Hornby says the model has been designed with accessibility, durability and functionality at its heart.

Despite its Railroad positioning, there's still plenty going on beneath the bodywork. The model is planned to feature a three-pole motor with flywheel, electrical pickups across all six axles and a 21-pin decoder socket on both standard and sound-ready versions. The tooling also combines robust moulded detail with separately fitted items including handrails, roof horns and windscreen wipers.

So while the models shown at this stage are still pre-production and subject to further refinement, it's exciting to finally see Hornby's new Railroad Class 60 making the jump from CAD and 3D printed prototypes to fully tooled samples. With the Class 60 covering everything from sectorisation-era BR freight through EWS and into present-day operation, there's also huge potential for Hornby to expand the range with plenty more liveries in future – something Hornby has already indicated it intends to explore.

The fleet of Class 60 locomotives were built for British Rail by Brush Traction after they identified a need for high powered Type 5 diesels for use on the Trainload Freight sector. Following the subsequent privatisation of British Rail, the fleet passed to EWS and later spread around to other operators. The fleet only operated during the final years of British Rail and after privatisation they became the property of EWS. The operator was reportedly unimpressed with their performance and much of the class were stored and sold onto other operators. The 60s saw a new lease of life in the late 2000s and 2010s in use with other operators and a portion were upgraded to 'Super 60s' by DB Schenker. During 2020, the first Class 60 was scrapped and one was also preserved.

(Information provided via Wikipedia)